A variety of compounds are presently used in various industries to treat malodorous materials, wastes, and fuels. The treatment chemicals are applied as odor-masking agents such as lemon or orange extracts, and biocides, such as aldehydes. Biocides work by killing the bacteria which produce malodorous materials such as organosulfur compounds and hydrogen sulfide. In some instances, both masking agents and biocides are simultaneously applied.
Although these materials are effective in many industries, their success in the oil industries (where oil biodegradation is performed) has been lacking. The major reason for lack of success in the oil industry is attributed to the strength of the waste and the low penetration of treatment chemicals on the sludge. The low penetration of treatment chemicals results in an increase in the strength of the treatment required. The masking agents, when used in high concentrations, result in a strong nauseating citrus smell. Biocides, to be effective in oily sludges, must be applied in high concentrations. These high concentrations kill not only the undesired anaerobic bacteria, but also the beneficial bacteria. The loss of the beneficial bacteria is extremely detrimental to the biodegradation of the oil and subsequently is not a desired treatment method.
In hydrocarbon-containing waste, the sludges can contain mercaptans, hydrogen sulfide, thios and other odorous compounds. The selective removal of the hydrogen sulfide, the mercaptans, the thios, and the other volatile odor-producing agents is extremely expensive by most commercially available odor-masking agents. In addition, most commercially available odor-masking agents only mask the odor and do not actually destroy the volatile odorous compounds. It is desirable to mask, as well as destroy, some of the odor-producing compounds.
In use, it is often very difficult to be able to intimately and integrally mix the treatment compound with the hydrocarbon-containing sludge or fuel. If it is necessary to carry out an intimate mixture of the items, then the cost of mixing may be excessive. Additionally, it may be necessary to actually load the sludge into a mixing apparatus so as to allow the chemical composition to effectively interact with the components of the sludge. As such, it is extremely desirable to create a chemical composition which can be simply sprayed onto the sludge.
It has been difficult to spray prior treatment compositions since such treatment compositions would not effectively penetrate the surface of the sludges. It is important to interact the treatment composition thoroughly throughout the sludge so as to effectively reduce odors. Surface treatment is one solution. However, over time, such surface treatment is very temporal in nature. Ultimately, the composition which is used to treat the sludge or fuel should be of a quality that effectively penetrates the surface.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a method and composition for the control of odors which effectively controls undesired bacteria as well as sequesters malodorous compounds.
It is another object of the present invention to provide an odor control composition that allows the chemical to interact with the sludge or fuel.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide an odor control composition which is relatively easy to manufacture, easy to use, and relatively inexpensive.
These and other objects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from a reading of the attached specification and appended claims.